In this episode, host Keith Knoke, Chair of the Board for Inogen Alliance from Antea Group USA, is joined by Alizabeth Smith (Antea Group USA) and Chris Trim (Peter J. Ramsay & Associates Australia) to discuss how risk management is evolving in 2026. Together, they examine the growing strategic role of EHS functions, the importance of predictive risk indicators, and how companies are building resilience through proactive planning, collaboration, and better management of operational and psychosocial risks.
Episode 3 of Rethinking EHS, Season 3 focuses on the transformation of risk management in a rapidly changing global environment.
The discussion highlights how modern risks now spread faster than ever through interconnected supply chains, social media, workforce pressures, and geopolitical instability.
The episode also explores how organisations are using leading indicators, management systems, and predictive approaches to identify operational risks earlier, while integrating EHS considerations into due diligence, procurement, sustainability, and organisational change processes.
Ultimately, the episode underscores that resilience depends on organisations proactively understanding risk, improving communication, and embedding risk management into every level of business decision-making.
Rethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety, and sustainability services, working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit inogenalliance.com to learn more.
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Guest quotes:
Alizabeth Smith:
“The risk they hadn’t controlled, the risk they hadn’t looked at, was cultural.”
Alizabeth Smith:
“If you don’t deal with communication and consistency, people start believing the program will change in six months anyway.”
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Timestamps:
Sponsor Copy
Rethinking EHS is brought to you by the Inogen Alliance. Inogen Alliance is a global network of 70+ companies providing environment, health, safety, and sustainability services, working together to provide one point of contact to guide multinational organizations to meet their global commitments locally. Visit inogenalliance.com to learn more.
Produced by Madcontent.co.nz
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Links
https://Inogenalliance.com/resources
https://Inogenalliance.com/podcast
Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-knoke-27587a7
Alizabeth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alizabeth-aramowicz-smith-61618615/
Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-trim-51637831/
Keith:
Welcome to Rethinking EHS. I’m Keith, Executive Vice President at Inogen Alliance USA and Chair of the Board for the Inogen Alliance.
In this episode, we’re exploring how risk management is evolving in 2026. Risk is no longer episodic — it’s continuous, interconnected, and increasingly shaping business decisions at the highest level.
We discuss how organisations are shifting from reactive compliance to proactive strategy, how operational risks are being identified earlier, and what it takes to manage growing complexity across global operations and supply chains.
Joining me today are Elizabeth Smith, Senior Consultant at Inogen Alliance USA and leader of the Global Health and Safety Working Group, and Chris Trin, Senior Environmental Consultant at Peter J. Ramsay & Associates in Australia.
Keith:
It feels like risk has fundamentally changed over the last few years. Everything is faster, more connected, and constantly evolving. Elizabeth, from your perspective, what has changed the most?
Elizabeth:
The speed. If something happens at a facility anywhere in the world, social media and digital communication amplify it almost instantly. That can affect workforce morale, supply chain performance, and customer trust across multiple regions.
Risk is also no longer confined to emergency response or safety incidents. It now touches every part of the organisation — cybersecurity, procurement, finance, environmental health and safety, sustainability, and operations. Managing risk today requires alignment across the entire business.
Keith:
EHS functions are no longer just handling tactical issues. They’re becoming more strategic and more visible at the board level.
Elizabeth:
Leading indicators are now extremely important. Organisations want to know what signals indicate a system could fail before something happens. Boards are asking questions like:
What are the risks right now?
What trends are emerging?
What could impact staffing, budgets, or operations?
That shift has elevated EHS into broader conversations around resilience and business continuity.
Keith:
COVID-19 changed how organisations think about risk. Have you seen that influence continue?
Chris:
Absolutely. COVID was a major turning point. It helped organisations understand that risk can never be eliminated completely, and that proactive risk management is essential.
Elizabeth:
It also elevated workforce risk and psychosocial health. Organisations realised how critical employee wellbeing is to operational continuity. That focus continues today through new regulations and stronger expectations around workforce support.
Keith:
It seems like EHS functions are now expected to support resilience and continuity, not just prevent incidents.
Chris:
That’s definitely happening. We’re seeing organisations invest more in planning ahead, identifying vulnerabilities early, and building stronger systems for continuity.
Management teams are also recognising the importance of setting expectations and aligning teams around shared goals.
Keith:
We’re also seeing operational risk become a bigger part of due diligence.
Chris:
Yes. Organisations want better visibility into environmental and operational risks before acquisitions or major investments.
For example, during one due diligence project involving transport depots, additional investigation identified underground fuel leaks that became a significant factor in negotiations and remediation planning.
The better organisations understand risk upfront, the better decisions they can make.
Elizabeth:
Sustainability and resilience are becoming deeply connected. Companies are increasingly evaluating health, safety, and sustainability performance as indicators of operational maturity and organisational culture.
Keith:
Companies are demanding earlier indicators of risk and more predictive approaches.
Elizabeth:
We’re seeing stronger use of leading indicators such as:
Preventive maintenance completion rates
Corrective action closure rates
Training completion metrics
Employee improvement suggestions
Management of change tracking
These indicators help organisations understand the health of their systems before failures occur.
Technology platforms and digital systems are also helping organisations aggregate and analyse risk data at site, business unit, and enterprise levels.
Keith:
Management of change seems to be becoming much more important.
Elizabeth:
Absolutely. A simple operational change can trigger significant downstream impacts:
New procedures
New training
Updated documentation
Additional engineering controls
New operational risks
Some organisations now calculate the full cost of implementing change — not just the equipment cost, but also the cost of managing the associated risk.
Chris:
Successful change management also requires culture and communication. People need to understand why the change is happening and how they contribute to managing risk.
Keith:
Organisations can’t manage these risks alone.
Chris:
Strong communication and collaboration are essential, especially across regions. The most effective projects involve consistent approaches combined with local expertise.
Elizabeth:
That’s one of the strengths of the Inogen Alliance. Global collaboration combined with local knowledge allows organisations to manage risk effectively while adapting to local culture, regulations, and operational realities.
Keith:
Before we wrap up, what’s one emerging risk EHS leaders should be paying attention to?
Elizabeth:
Psychosocial risk.
Chris:
I agree. Workforce wellbeing and psychosocial factors are becoming critical areas of focus globally.
Keith:
Thank you to Elizabeth and Chris for sharing your insights.
As Inogen Alliance celebrates 25 years, this series reflects what makes our network unique: global collaboration, local expertise, and a shared commitment to accelerating a resilient planet for all.
Be sure to follow the series and share it with colleagues across your organisation and network. You can find us on LinkedIn, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Until next time, thank you for listening and for being part of the global community working to turn knowledge into action.